Concept Note for Public Policy Analysis Course

Application Deadline: Sunday 20 January 2019 at 11:59PM Cameroon Time 

Why this Training Course?

To greatly improve the public’s understanding and participation in promoting free enterprise policies, the Nkafu Policy Institute at the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation has designed a special one-week intensive training course to equip leaders with policy analysis skills. The course has been specifically designed to:

1. Improve participants’ skills in data collection, analysis and dissemination
2. Strengthen participants techniques in policy analysis, both qualitative and quantitative
3. Enhance participants’ ability to promote evidence-informed public policy through writing policy briefs and reports
4. Understand the process of planning an effective policy advocacy campaign
5. Equip participants with the skills and techniques to critically appraise policies and make tangible recommendations
6. Help participants effectively communicate research outcomes through various communication channels

Participants will be expected to understand both English and French as instruction will be in both languages. There will be no simultaneous translation.

Why Free Enterprise?

A free enterprise economic system promotes competition amongst private businesses and aids in the preservation of an economy were small businesses can thrive, being largely free from government control.  Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa face major challenges: paucity of funds, poor record keeping; the inability to separate personal from business funds, lack of infrastructure and lack of business management skills, and more importantly a weak judicial system that makes contract enforcement extremely difficult. SMEs make up about 90 – 99% of businesses in Africa and they are generally considered to be Small and Medium Size Enterprises when they have employees less than a hundred.  SMEs contribute to 36% of the GDP of Cameroon. The Minister of Small and Medium Sized Enterprise, Social Economy and Handicraft stated that, if SME’s were to contribute 50% of the GDP, Cameroon would be an emerging economy. However, little studies have been conducted on SME’s in the Cameroonian environment that can aid in evidence-based policy.

For more than five years, the Nkafu Policy Institute at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation has been working towards making Cameroon a better place to live and work, by promoting research-based policy reforms grounded in the free enterprise and economic freedoms.  Indeed, our central mission at the Nkafu Policy Institute is the promotion of free enterprise policies that lead to job creation and wealth generation.

Course Benefits:

• Training is limited to 20 Cameroonians, both male and female
• Participants shall also be engaged with the different policy departments at the Nkafu Policy Institute throughout the training period.
• They shall focus, amongst other things, on carrying out research to educate the public on the benefits of a free enterprise system in Cameroon, through newspaper articles and short policy papers.
• Two (2) successful participants will be hired as Free Enterprise Fellows at the Nkafu Policy Institute for a period of one (1) year. Each Free Enterprise Fellow will receive a monthly salary of 150,000 FCFA

Who Should Attend?

• Recent graduates and Ph.D. students interested in pursuing careers in public policy
• Young faculty members and leaders of civil society organizations
• The course also targets managers in the public sector, in ministries and other development organizations.

Course Facilitators

The program is organized by the Nkafu Policy Institute at The Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation. It will be facilitated by carefully selected and well talented Cameroonians working in both the private and public sector. The facilitators have a diverse and distinguished background to enrich the learning environment. They include:

• William Hermann Arrey (Head of Department)
• Hugue Nkoutchou (Director of the Nkafu Policy Institute)
• Other speakers

Course Delivery: lectures, simulations, case-study discussion, group debate, post course follow-up

Duration & Location

The training shall run for 5 days from 4 February 2019 to 8 February 2019. It shall take place at the Foretia Foundation Headquarters in Simbock-Yaounde, 100m from the college Jesus – Marie.

Course Registration

Once selected to join this special training program, participants shall pay a registration fee of 15,000 FCFA.

As part of the training program candidates will receive training materials, refreshments and lunch during the 5 days. This program has been generously supported by Atlas Network.

Program Expectations

• 20 young leaders will be trained with critical skills in public policy analysis
• We will recruit TWO (2) of the 20 participants to work for one (1) year at the Nkafu Policy Institute as a Free Enterprise Fellow
• Each Free Enterprise Fellow will be paid a Monthly salary of 150,000 FCFA
• Participants will receive a certificate after successful completion of this Intensive One-Week Training
• Each participant will be expected to publish one (1) policy brief within 6 months

Application Process

All applications are completed online. Payment is completed using MTN MobilePay or Orange MobilePay

Click here to complete your online application

Concept Note in PDF – English

Concept Note in PDF – French

Training Schedule in PDF